Complaint filed against online abortion provider for alleged violation of Ohio law

catholicvote.org
Rachel Quackenbush 
March 20, 2025
2 minutes read time.

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A pro-life organization in Ohio recently filed a complaint against a “telehealth” abortion provider, contending that its distribution of abortion drugs by mail violates Ohio law requiring a physician to be physically present when a patient takes the first dose.

Ohio Right to Life submitted the complaint Feb. 19 to the Ohio Department of Health, raising concerns about abortion provider website Hey Jane, Ohio Capital Journal reported March 18.

Emma Martinez, Ohio Right to Life’s director of external and legislative affairs, asked the health department to review whether Hey Jane’s operations comply with Ohio law.

“It is our opinion that Heyjane.com works to deliver pills without any type of physical exam by a physician,” Martinez wrote in a letter to Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff, the head of the Ohio Department of Health. “In so doing, this website provides dangerous pharmaceuticals without the legally required physician oversight.”

Hey Jane, which expanded its services to Ohio in February, advertises access to mifepristone and other medications through chat, phone, or video appointments.

The health department acknowledged Ohio Right to Life’s complaint but noted that it has no enforcement authority over the law in question, as it is classified as a criminal statute. Instead, the department referred the matter to the State Medical Board of Ohio and the Ohio Attorney General’s Office.

Ohio Right to Life also raised concerns about Hey Jane’s compliance with state reporting laws for abortion procedures. The health department stated it has reminded the company of these legal requirements and will “closely monitor the issue going forward.”

Hey Jane’s co-founder and CEO, Kiki Freedman, accused Ohio Right to Life of spreading misinformation about Hey Jane’s legality, saying that the pro-life organization’s efforts “disturbed and disappointed” them. 

“It is deeply important to Hey Jane that Ohioans have access to accurate, factual information that allows them to make informed decisions about accessing high-quality and safe abortion care,” Freedman said.

“Online access to ‘discreet’ abortion pills reduces women’s access to necessary healthcare and physician oversight to screen for potential complications and increased risk factors,” Ohio Right to Life stated in a Feb. 20 press release. “Chemical abortions fail to provide treatment for ectopic pregnancies, have high complication rates, and are dangerous the further along in the pregnancy a woman is.”

While a September 2024 court order temporarily blocked Ohio’s restrictions on mail-order abortion drugs, pro-abortion legislators are now pushing to codify the process into state law, according to Ohio Capital Journal.

According to Martinez’s statement in the Feb. 20 press release, “Hey Jane is breaking Ohio’s law and throwing women’s health to the side, only caring about their agenda to push abortions on women.”